The present invention relates to a method of making fishing lure of a rigid foamed polymer having an elongated sleeve mounted therein for attaching screw eyes and hooks to a fishing lure having an elongated sleeve with or without a weight in the fishing lure body and having screw eyes mounted to the fishing lure body and to the sleeve formed thereon.
In the past, there have been a large number of fishing lures of all types, but most of the prior art patents have been made of a balsa wood or formed of a solid plastic material, which might also have a hollow portion therein to make the lure floating. Some years ago, I began the manufacture of a rigid foamed plastic lure body for a floating lure which was molded, then coated and had screw eyes for lines or with hooks attached thereto. This lure works satisfactorily, but with larger lures made for larger fish, the fish tended to pull the hooks from the lure since the rigid plastic foam would not hold the threaded portion of the screw eyes under the greater pressure of the larger fish. The present invention teaches a lure and a method of making a lure which holds the screw eyes and hooks with greater strength to the lure body and allows balancing of the lure by the addition of weights thereto.
Prior art U.S. patents of interest can be broken into several groups in the following manner. One group of prior art patents includes longitudinally extending members which are fixedly attached to the body of a plug and which have connected thereto screws or their equivalent, which screws have eyes to which are connected hooks and/or a line. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,651, a shank extension wire extends through a bushing and washer set into a base in order to position the wire and to prevent it from cutting into adjacent portions of the wood body when the wire is subject to a strong pull. The bushing and washer are preferably secured to the body of the lure by suitable adhesive. U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,550 has a body of flexible thermoplastic resin and a flexible link chain coupling molded into the body, thereby permitting lateral flexing of the body. The coupling is capable of sustaining longitudinal loads or stress without distortion under lateral bending of the body. U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,293 shows a weight having a line eye and hook eyes connected thereto, and is embedded in a molded plug body made of polyvinyl resin U.S. Pat. No. 1,948,983 utilizes a hollow, resilient body, which is supported upon a tube. Hooks are threaded into the rear end of the tube. U.S. Pat. No. 1,778,065 shows a weight which is of cylindrical shape and extends into a portion of the body and has a screw connected axially completely through the weight and into the body portion of the lure. U.S. Pat. No. 870,069 shows a weight having threaded apertures extending centrally of a pair of lugs and a rear rod is screwed into one lug and a front rod is threaded into the other lug.
A second group of U.S. patents relates to plugs which generally include a longitudinally extending tubular element secured to the plug's body and having a rod, spring, line, or the like, extending therethrough, so that most of the stress is not on the plug body. U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,133 shows a sheath which is freely mounted on a rod. The sheath is made of flexible and resilient material. A hook is directly connected to a metal rod to which the line is attached an eye. U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,139 shows a rotatable mounting sleeve within which a shaft rotates and slides. A hook is attached to a shaft which is in turn directly connected to a line. U.S. Pat. No. 2,750,701 shows a bore which is lined with a metal liner. Lying within the lines are slidable front and back sleeves. A hook is attached to a rod which is directly connected to a line. U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,413 shows a body portion having an axially drilled hole and a larger diameter hole. A copper tube is press fitted into one hole and has attached about it a removable body member comprising a copper sheet having a diameter such that it is press fitted in the other hole. Hooks are connected to the copper sheets laterally extending doubled portion and a line freely extends through the tube and is knotted at its end at the rear of the tube. U.S. Pat. No. 2,611,207 utilizes laterally extending, loose fitting, hollow cylindrical barrels having lower open portions through which inverted hooks extend. A supporting wire extends through an axial hole. U.S. Pat. No. 2,581,485 shows a movable longitudinal shaft or bar loosely mounted in a longitudinal passage which is provided with a loop to which a hook is attached. U.S. Pat. No. 2,263,743 shows an insert member serving as journals for a rod which is rotatable to change fish hooks. The hook is attached to a rod having an eyelet through which a snap ring is passed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,228,591 shows a bore loosely fitted on a mounting bar. U.S. Pat. No 2,163,666 shows a tubular stem extending through an opening. Another opening is adapted to pass a line, leader or shank of a hook. U.S. Pat. No. 1,295,448 shows a plug utilizing a curved tube of brass having a spring which is normally under tension and upon a fish taking the bait carried by a hook it disengages the end of the spring, thereby drawing it into the tube.
Another group of patents relates to plugs which generally include longitudinally extending tubular elements which rotate or have a shaft, spindle, line, or the like, upon which the body of the plug rotates. U.S. Pat. No. 2,769,268 shows a body container revolving around a nonrotatable hollow tube spindle. U.S. Pat. No. 2,196,506 shows a swivel which is located in a groove of a body which rotates freely therein. U.S. Pat. No. 2,078,816 relates to a rotatable lure having a spindle rotatably mounting a sleeve. The sleeve is rotated by vanes. U.S. Pat. No. 2,001,844 shows a tubular spindle member having a hole extending throughout its length. Front and rear body portions are revolvably mounted on the spindle member. U.S. Pat. No. 1,627,512 utilizes a tube having a shaft which is rotated by a front end propeller wheel thereby moving a fish tail mounted at the tail end of the lure by an eccentric connected to the rear end of a shaft.